Customer Support Specialist salary in Lansing-East Lansing, MI
For this job Lansing-East Lansing sits right at the Michigan figure, with a median of $44,250 a year1. That is about level with the Michigan statewide median of $43,950, and 1.2% below the US median of $44,770. Among US areas it comes in at #165 of 520. About 3,790 customer support specialists work here, 5% of the Michigan total.
BLS occupation 43-4051, area Lansing-East Lansing, MI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lansing-East Lansing against Michigan and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $30,770 | $44,250 | $61,510 | |
| Michigan | $30,670 | $43,950 | $63,830 | |
| United States | $31,750 | $44,770 | $63,590 |
Customer support specialists at the 90th percentile earn $61,510, 2.0 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 2.0. The middle half of customer support specialists in Lansing-East Lansing earns $36,180–$48,610. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $12,430 wide, against $13,910 across Michigan and $14,910 nationally: employers in Lansing-East Lansing pay within a narrower band.
What to budget for a customer support specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30,770 | $2,564 | $14.79 | $39,703 |
| 25th percentile | $36,180 | $3,015 | $17.39 | $46,684 |
| Median | $44,250 | $3,688 | $21.27 | $57,097 |
| 75th percentile | $48,610 | $4,051 | $23.37 | $62,723 |
| 90th percentile | $61,510 | $5,126 | $29.57 | $79,368 |
Local pay is bunched just above the median: the 75th percentile is only $4,360 over it, while the 25th sits $8,070 below. Moving an offer from the median to the 75th percentile costs about $5,626 more a year with benefits. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $44,770 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Lansing-East Lansing, and the Michigan statewide median of $43,950 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Lansing-East Lansing
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $12,847 to the $44,250 median and brings it to $57,097 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open customer support specialist roles pay $700–$1,000 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
A local hire here costs about 4.3 times as much as a remote hire in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two, when the fee drops out, it is 5.3 times the remote figure of $10,788. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in Lansing-East Lansing
Of the 17 roles we track in Lansing-East Lansing, this one ranks #14 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($45,110) and data entry specialists ($42,350). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,050.
| Role | Median | vs customer support specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +10.0% | 2,460 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +1.9% | 60 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | this role | 3,790 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | -4.3% | 160 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | -5.4% | 1,140 |
Measured against the US median, customer support specialists rank #7 of the 17 roles we track in Lansing-East Lansing (-1.2%), between bookkeepers (-0.3%) and virtual receptionists (-1.8%). The typical role here is at -2.3%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Customer support specialists hold 17.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lansing-East Lansing, 17.6% across Michigan and 16.4% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Michigan
Across the 19 areas of Michigan with data for this job, the median runs from $36,150 in Saginaw to $48,250 in Midland, a gap of $12,100 a year. All 2 areas in Michigan with more customer support specialists than Lansing-East Lansing also pay more, among them Detroit-Warren, MI ($44,730) and Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI ($44,990).
| Area | Median | vs Lansing-East Lansing | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland, MI | +9.0% | 620 | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | +1.7% | 9,010 | |
| Detroit-Warren, MI | +1.1% | 31,310 | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | this area | 3,790 | |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | -0.3% | 1,970 | |
| Southern Michigan (Nonmetro) | -0.7% | 1,190 | |
| Niles, MI | -1.4% | 930 |
Lansing-East Lansing against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lansing-East Lansing is #99 of 520 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Michigan, Omaha and Lancaster pay just above Lansing-East Lansing and Allentown-Bethlehem and Memphis just below. All four are within $160 a year of the median in Lansing-East Lansing. Of the three markets with about as many customer support specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lansing-East Lansing | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster, PA | +0.1% | 3,440 | pay | |
| Omaha, NE-IA | +0.0% | 8,810 | pay | |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | this area | 3,790 | ||
| Allentown-Bethlehem, PA-NJ | -0.2% | 5,140 | pay | |
| Memphis, TN-MS | -0.4% | 9,360 | pay | |
| Reno, NV | -0.7% | 3,870 | jobs | |
| Winston-Salem, NC | -13.2% | 3,770 | jobs | |
| Lubbock, TX | -18.8% | 3,830 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a customer support specialist in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
About $57,097 a year at the median, or $4,758 a month: $44,250 in pay plus about $12,847 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do customer support specialists earn in Lansing-East Lansing?
The median was $44,250 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,770, the 90th $61,510, and the middle half earned $36,180 to $48,610.
Is Lansing-East Lansing cheaper than the rest of Michigan for customer support specialists?
About the same: a median of $44,250 against $43,950 statewide. The next area up in Michigan is Detroit-Warren at $44,730, the next down Kalamazoo-Portage at $44,130.
How many customer support specialists work in Lansing-East Lansing?
BLS counts about 3,790 in the May 2025 survey. That is 5% of the Michigan total of 71,310. Only Detroit-Warren and Grand Rapids-Wyoming have more in Michigan.
Does a customer support specialist cost more than a data entry specialist in Lansing-East Lansing?
Yes: $1,900 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,250 and $42,350.
What does a remote customer support specialist cost compared with Lansing-East Lansing?
Our open roles pay $700–$1,000 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $13,288, against about $57,097 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-4051: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.